Happy Monday!

I was in inservice all day. Not the way I would choose to spend the day, but my job requires it every so often. When I do retire from teaching there are many things I will miss about being an educator, but inservice is not one of those things. But I did have a lovely time at lunch today. Most of the time, I bring my lunch and stay at the site where the meeting is taking place and work through lunch. Today, I just did not want to be inside so I went to lunch with some friends from school who were going to Central Market. I took my lunch, heated it in the microwave and we ate lunch on the patio. It was so nice. One of my friends told me that sometimes on Friday and Saturday a band plays on the patio and people come, get their food from the market and listen to music. That sounds like fun to me!!

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there is grace.”

If you are a regular reader of my writing you are aware that I begin my daily prayer time in the car on my way to school the way Martin Luther began his daily prayer. He began with The Lord’s Prayer, and the Apostles Creed. Jesus gave instruction in the manner in which we are to pray. Jesus said to “pray like this: Our Father, Who art in heaven, may your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come…”(Matthew 6:9-10)

When we address God as our “Father” we are calling on Him as His children. We are telling Him that we believe and hold His name high above all names. We are inviting God, The Messiah, to walk with us and be present in our hearts. We are telling God that we honor Him above all others. It does not matter whether we come before Him giving thanks and praise and sharing our joy or whether we come humbly before Him as repentant sinners begging for His forgiveness, tender mercies and His grace. We still come before Him as children of the King and God is ever faithful.

“May your kingdom come…” Have you ever thought about that verse? We know that someday God’s heavenly Kingdom will merge with the kingdom here on earth. I, however, do not think that is exactly what is meant in this phrase of the prayer. I think “May your kingdom come…” is asking for God to come and permeate every part of our being and be a part of our daily lives. I think Jesus meant that God wants to be a part of each breath we take, each sentence we utter, each step we take. I think “May your kingdom come…” means God wants to be a part of our joys, our fears, our successes, our failures, our laughter and our tears.

When our own children come to us sharing their day, their fears, their victories and their defeats, their sadness and their joys, we listen and cry with them or celebrate. All of these things are a part of God’s kingdom and God wants to be a part of all of the workings of His kingdom. So when we come before Him in prayer and utter these words boldly, “Our Father who art in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come…” After all, who are we? We are His children.

Take joy in the journey and wear comfortable shoes! Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.